


Two Halves of a Whole

by Annavanpie



Category: Persona 3, Persona Series
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Arisato Twins AU, F/F, F/M, Gen, Pansexual Minako, Will add more tags as more characters appear, asexual minato, but not in the way you think, only planning on going up to fuuka arc currently, we'll see how we feel after that
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-01-04
Updated: 2021-01-04
Packaged: 2021-03-14 08:20:45
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,902
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28542450
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Annavanpie/pseuds/Annavanpie
Summary: Arisato Twins AU - But not in the way you think.Minato and Minako Arisato have been thrown from family to family - foster home to foster home - since they were six years old. Ever since then, they have been inseparable. Now, after ten years, they are finally able to return home thanks to a scholarship fund given to both of them to attend Gekkoukan High. However, mysterious circumstances are arising. The Dark Hour, a strange phenomena that occurs every night at midnight, has been growing stronger. The Specialized Extracurricular Execution Squad need help, and Minako seems to be the only one up to handle the task. As shadows grow stronger and Apathy Syndrome spreads, will Minako get caught up in the turmoil? And what about Minato? Is he destined to be left behind, or does he have a greater purpose in all of this as well?
Relationships: Arisato Minako & Arisato Minato, Arisato Minako/Sanada Akihiko, Arisato Minato & Yamagishi Fuuka
Comments: 8
Kudos: 23





	Two Halves of a Whole

Time never waits.  
It delivers all equally to the same end.

You, who wish to safeguard the future,  
however limited it may be…

You will be given one year;

go forth without falter,  
with your heart as your guide…

The world outside rushed by as each second passed. The only thing stable was the moon, shining light onto the quickly moving earth beneath it, and the stars speckled around it like a can of glitter spilled over a black blanket. It had been a long time since Minako had seen so many stars. It was exciting. Like the first distinct sign that she was returning to a world she had missed for so long. 

Minako’s forehead pressed against the window as she stared up at the sky. The night air seeped through the glass and felt cold against her skin. She smiled, her gaze shifting forward towards the direction the train was headed in a vain attempt to spot their destination. If she could open that window and stick her head out, she would. Unfortunately, her angle was not forgiving enough. Before she had the chance to press her face against the glass harder, or give her window-opening method a test run, the world outside went dark as the train rushed into a tunnel. Minako collapsed back into her seat. Her disappointed reflection stared back at her.

Bright red eyes sulked beneath a head of matching hair tied in a loose ponytail. Her uneven bangs stuck to her forehead where she had pressed it in the window. Quickly she swiped her hand over it, using the window’s reflection to fix the lopsided bow on her chest while she was at it. The school uniform really was cute. The red was a nice touch. It matched her hair and her eyes, and if she ever got in a fight, it wouldn’t get stained by her enemy’s blood. Minako giggled at the thought, her mood brightening quickly. Soon enough, she’d be able to wear this uniform all the time. The checkered logo of her school sat proudly on the left side of her chest. _Gekkoukan High School - since 1982_ , it read in yellow letters.

Out of the corner of her eye, Minako thought she saw a spot of blue through the window. From where she was looking, it appeared to be a butterfly. When she turned to it, though, it had vanished. The tunnel they were in stretched onwards.

Minako rested her head on the back of her seat, sinking into it deep enough to the point where she could slip off at any second. She lazily turned to look to her right at her brother seated next to her.

His eyes were closed. In the quiet and empty train car, she could hear the sounds of drums and electric guitars through the headphones still resting over his ears. His head rested against his shoulder at an uncomfortable angle - she would have offered to let him lean on her if he wanted to sleep, but she supposed he either didn’t bother to ask or he fell asleep against his will. His blue hair covered his face as he rested, his legs tucked in towards his chest. He looked cute, like a little puppy curled up and napping.

He wore the boy’s uniform. It was a lot like her’s, but with pants instead of a skirt and a black, ribbony bowtie instead of the large, red bow. He hadn’t bothered to do more than loosely wrap the tie around his neck, so it looked seconds from coming loose. His jacket wasn’t zipped closed, either, but Minako knew he didn’t care.

Minako giggled. She poked her brother’s cheek, and his nose twitched at her touch, but he didn’t open his eyes.

Minako rolled her own. She pulled off one of his headphones, allowing the rock music to be heard clearer through its speaker. “Minato,” Minako whispered, “Are you awake?”

“No,” came the answer. Minato squeezed his eyes shut further. 

Minako laughed, “Don’t be like that!” she exclaimed, “We’re almost there. Get up.”

“Mmph,” Minato said stubbornly, but he pushed himself up nonetheless, rolling his neck, “What time is it?” he asked groggily, staring at her with dull gray eyes still hidden beneath his messy bedhead.

“Almost midnight, I think,” Minako responded, “They said there was a delay earlier, so we’ll be arriving a bit late.”

Minato stretched and nodded, “Let’s hope we get there before midnight, then. I’d hate to be stuck in this train for longer than I have to be.”

Minako groaned, “Me too. I think I’d bust,” she rocked back and forth in her seat, as though to emphasize her restlessness, “Sleep well?” she asked.

“More or less,” he responded with a yawn, “How are you so awake?”

“Are you kidding? This is nothing!” Minako exclaimed, “Besides, isn’t it exciting? We’re going back to Tatsumi Port Island! We’re going home!”

“Who cares? We were six. Do you even remember living there at all? I don’t.”

“That’s because you have the memory of a _goldfish_ ,” Minako teased, “It’ll be great, trust me.”

As if on queue, just as Minako finished speaking, the train emerged from the tunnel, and Iwatodai City blazed to life around them. Compared to Tokyo, it might not have been as vibrant, or as mind-numbingly large, but it was also just about a hundred times more exhilarating. Seeing the old buildings clustered together, illuminated signs advertising various local businesses and restaurants, and night owls heading home for the day or out to the club, it just filled Minako’s body with a warmth she couldn’t describe. Her heart fluttered with anticipation as she gazed out her window. Every sight put a sparkle in her eye - she kept gasping and patting Minato excitedly, pulling him forward and pointing out a hundred different things at once. He didn’t seem interested in the slightest, but he didn’t try to contain Minako’s boundless energy, so she didn’t try to contain it herself. It was probably a good thing that the train was so empty.

_“Iwatodai Station, next stop. Next stop, Iwatodai Station,”_ a muffled voice spoke through the intercom, only barely understandable. Minako practically vibrated in her seat.

Minato just rolled his eyes and put his headphones back on.

~~~

The moment the train stopped, Minako was outside of it, spinning in circles on the walkway. She waited for her sloth of a brother to lug himself off the train with the patience of a child given a marshmallow and told not to eat it. Just as soon as he was out, she grabbed him by the arm and dragged him down the station, yelling at him to move his lazy butt. A quick glance at the clock in the station square told her it was 11:59.

“What’s the rush?” Minato nonchalantly said, his vision following her’s, “We’ll be there by midnight either way.”

Just then, the hands on the clock shifted, and immediately the world went quiet. Minato pulled off his headphones, now completely silent, as though the batteries had run out. The sky above them in the outdoors of the station square went green, the moon blowing up ten sizes too big and glowing an unnatural yellow light. Blood seeped through the cracks in the stone floor and stained the walls of the buildings around them. The train that they had stepped out of went dead, along with every light in the station, filling their surroundings with shadows. Coffins stood where just moments before there had been people. A couple screams were heard in the distance, before their voices were snuffed out like a candle. Minako gave Minato a look.

“I think the moon’s bigger tonight,” was all she said, her voice completely casual.

Minato’s bright blue eyes glowed in the eerie green light as he looked up in the sky, “Huh,” was all he said.

The walk to the dorms was relatively quiet. Minako skipped along ahead of her brother, excitement still coursing through her veins. He lagged further behind, hands stuck deep in his pockets as he walked without much thought. Occasionally they’d hear the sound of something happening somewhere off in the distance, but neither twin paid it much mind. 

Passing a coffin on the sidewalk, Minako stopped and knocked on the heavy door, “Hello?” she said mischievously, “Anyone home?”

The coffin provided no answer, and Minato simply scoffed at his sister good-naturedly. She shrugged her shoulders, “Must be shy,” she said. He rolled her eyes at her and they kept walking.

Suddenly Minako spotted something peeking up over the coffin. The same spark of blue she had seen in the train. 

_The blue butterfly_. Minako stopped in her tracks. Minato followed suit, giving her a confused look. She stared at the butterfly with baited breath. She didn’t know why exactly, but she felt like the creature was looking directly at her.

Then, it flew off of the coffin, and disappeared as quickly as it had appeared. Minako blinked a few times, and swiveled her head, trying to spot where it had gone, but she couldn’t see it. Her eyebrows furrowed, and her brother tilted his head at her, “What is it?” he asked.

“Did you see where that butterfly went?”

“Butterfly?” Minato asked, looking back at the coffin Minako had been staring at, “I didn’t see anything.”

“Oh…” Minako trailed off, “Well, maybe you need glasses then,” she said with a half-forced smirk. Minato shrugged and rolled his eyes at her, and kept walking without another word. Minako glanced back one more time, hopeful her butterfly friend would be there. But, the spot was still empty.

She shrugged her shoulders and followed after her brother, quickly forgetting the thing.

It wasn’t long after that that the two arrived at the dormitory. Minato double-checked that the address they were given matched up, and the two made to head inside, when suddenly Minako spotted that familiar blue from the corner of her eye. She quickly froze and turned to face it head on. The blue butterfly stared at her from its resting place atop a stone wall, its wings drifting open and closed lazily. Minako narrowed her eyes at it, silently daring it to come out and tell her why it was following her. Minato called out to her, but she didn’t dare take her eyes off of it. She heard him open the door to the dorms.

“Are you coming?” he asked.

Minako waved a hand at him, “Just… you go on ahead, I’ll catch up with you,” the butterfly’s blue glow seemed to brighten. She began creeping towards it, careful not to startle it.

She heard Minato snort and imagined him rolling his eyes before she heard the door behind her close with a definite _thunk_. Right as it did, the butterfly took off, and without thinking Minako chased after it.

The creature moved at a startling pace. Minako sprinted to keep up, determined not to let it out of her sight. It zig-zagged between streets, up and down and left and right, giving Minako a headache as she fought to catch up to it. Fortunately its blue glow contrasted brightly against the green overcast of the sky, but she was afraid if she took her eyes off of the thing for even a moment it would vanish again without a trace.

Minako felt her heart race as she followed the tiny creature, nearly tripping over curbs or colliding into coffins in her mad dash. She lost track of which streets she had gone down, which alleys she had sprinted through. She didn’t know why, exactly, but she knew she needed to follow that butterfly wherever it led her. She had a feeling it was _important._

Suddenly a gruff voice called out behind Minako, and she skidded to a halt in the middle of a dark alley. The butterfly fluttered in place, twirling in the air mischievously. Minako whirled around to face the voice.

A young man - probably a little older than her but double her size - made his way towards Minako. His shaggy brown hair poking out of the beanie on his head, paired with the faded red overcoat covering the majority of his body, made him look like an intimidating gangster against the shadowy moonlight. He wore a grimace on his face, narrowing his gray eyes as he looked her up and down.

Minako straightened her back and stood on her tip-toes in an effort to meet his gaze head-on, “Can I help you? I’m in the middle of something,” she glanced behind her. The butterfly was still twirling in place, as though waiting for her to finish the conversation so they could keep playing tag.

He scoffed, digging his hands deeper into his pockets and averting his gaze, “I should be askin’ you that. Don’t you know it’s dangerous to be wanderin’ around at this hour?”

“You seem to be the only dangerous one around here,” Minako pointed out with a smirk. She knew what he was talking about a little, of course. The moon poked through the buildings in the sky, its large yellow light bearing down on the both of them. Blood in the streets and coffins sitting around wasn’t the most settling sight to behold.

Mr. Beanie gave her a deadpan look, “I promise you, there’s a lot worse out here than me,” the tone of his voice was dark. Still, Minako didn’t feel all that threatened.

A lightbulb went off in her head, and Minako laughed, “Oh, I see! You’re one of those all-bark-and-no-bite types.”

The boy opened his mouth, his eyes widening in surprise, “Wh-” he began spluttering, “What’s that s’posed to mean-”

“Arisato Minako,” Minako introduced with a dramatic bow, “I’m new around here. I just transferred in with my brother. Do you go to Gekkoukan too?”

He stared at her, mouth still hanging open, “You got a death wish or somethin’?” he finally asked.

Minako straightened and gestured around them with a flourish, “You seem a bit paranoid. There’s nothing out here but you, me, and my blue butterfly friend!”

“Your what?” Mr. Beanie asked flatly.

“My-” Minako turned around, but the butterfly she had been following was gone. She pouted, “Look what you did! You scared it off!”

“I-” the boy cut himself off, before quietly sighing and shaking his head, “You’re a strange one…” he muttered, “Listen, it’s not safe for you to be out messin’ around right now. At least let me get you someplace safe.”

Minako folded her arms, “Well, it’s the least you could do after you caused my friend to run off!”  
  
“Your-” he sighed once more, “Just… come on…” he turned around and started walking out of the alley, Minako following close behind. She skipped beside him.

“Where are we going?” she asked with a smirk.

He gave her an exasperated look, “Either your way too trusting, or way too insane. I don’t like it.”

Minako giggled, “You seem harmless enough. Besides, if things get rough, I can handle myself,” she stopped walking, jumping into a fighting stance. Her hands straightened into a chopping pose and she let out a noise before kicking the air. Mr. Beanie stopped in his tracks and stared at her.

“Right…” he finally said before walking on. Minako jogged up to him. He glanced at her, “And you’re really not scared? At all?”

Minako shrugged, “What’s there to be afraid of?” she responded.

The boy just scoffed and shook his head, “Whatever. It’s none of my business. Come on, I’ll take you to someone who can help you get home safe,” he rounded a corner, and Minako followed him.

They walked like that for a while, and Minako wondered just how far she had wandered off. Eventually they came to a street filled with convenience stores, and Minako twirled in circles taking in the sights, trying to remember which stores were where so she could show Minato later.

One of the store doors opened up, a bell ringing as it did. Her companion called out, raising a hand to the person exiting the store.

The guy coming out looked the same age as her new friend, but if he gave off the impression of a gangster, then the person exiting the store would be a prep. A _good-looking_ one at that. He was wearing the same Gekkoukan uniform her brother wore, but with a red sweater vest instead of the jacket. He had gray eyes and hair styled much shorter than gangster boy’s. He also had a bandage on the left side of his face, and was wearing black leather gloves. On his left arm, he wore a red armband with the word SEES written on it. He seemed exhausted, and his clothes were ruffled and stained, like he had just gotten out of a fight. In his right hand he held what looked like a gun. Huh.

Immediately when Mr. Beanie called out to him, his face brightened. His grin faded, however, when his eyes fell on Minako. Well, that was a bit discouraging.

“Found a friend for you, Aki,” Mr. Beanie said gruffly.

Sweater-vest boy, Aki apparently, ran to meet them, catching his breath as he stopped in front of them. He gave Minako another look, “...Where did you come from?” he asked, discreetly putting away the gun. 

“A butterfly led her here,” Mr. Beanie offered with a smirk, “...You okay?” he asked, his voice strangely soft.

Aki waved his hand dismissively, “I’m fine. I actually was just heading back. Hour’s almost up,” he looked up in the sky at the giant yellow moon.

Mr. Beanie scoffed and shook his head, “Yeah right.”

“Are you shopping? Are the stores open at this hour?” Minako asked politely.

Aki looked at her again, “Oh, uh… not exactly. That’s actually the arcade. I just went back because I forgot… well, it doesn’t matter.”

“Your gun?” Minako asked.

Aki’s mouth fell open, “Uh… I mean, sure, but, you see, it’s not actually a gun, it just _looks like a gun, it’s-”_

“Idiot, meet dumbass. You two are made for each other. See ya,” Mr. Beanie waved his hand and turned around, walking away.

Aki spluttered, “Hold on, Shinji-” but Mr. Beanie had already rounded the corner, leaving Minako alone with the pretty boy. He sighed and turned back to her, “Sorry, he’s a bit rough around the edges… I hope he didn’t scare you too bad. He’s really a good guy.”

“He didn’t scare me at all,” Minako said, “He seemed pretty nice.”

“He did?” Aki asked, blinking, “Sorry, I’m just not used to people saying that. You must have left an impression on him.”

“You certainly did,” Minako said suggestively.

“Uh… thanks?” Aki said, tilting his head.

Minako rolled her eyes, “Your gun. Well, whatever it is. If it isn’t a gun, what is it?”

“It’s…” Aki trailed off, “Um, well, a sort of self-defense item, I guess. Hey, can I ask you something? How come I don’t recognize you? You’re wearing the Gekkoukan uniform, but I think I would have remembered seeing you around.”

“Why thank you,” Minako said with a grin. She hadn’t missed how quickly he had changed the subject, but that was his prerogative. She bowed politely, “Arisato Minako. I’m new, actually. This is my first night here.”

“Oh, you must be one of the transfer students!” Aki said with a smile, “I heard about you. I’m Akihiko Sanada. I’m a third year, but I’m actually in the dorms you’ll be staying in.”

“You are?” Minako’s grin grew wider, “It must be fate, then, for us to meet!”

Akihiko gave her a look, “I don’t know about that…” he said, “Though, come to think of it, shouldn’t there be two of you?”

Minako shrugged, “I left my brother at the dorms,” a thought occurred to her, “Oh, he’s probably wondering where I am…”

“Did you get separated?” Akihiko asked, “Actually, it’s a wonder how far out you got. Was everything okay on your way to the dorms?”

“Yeah, everything was fine,” Minako said, “It's as Mr. Beanie was saying, I was just following a butterfly.”

“A _butterfly_?” Akihiko asked, “What on earth drove you to do that?”

“Curiosity,” Minako shrugged.

Akihiko gave her a long look, “Huh…” he finally said, before grinning, “I like that,” suddenly his grin faded, and he looked at the sky again, “Hey…” he started, “The Dark Hour’s almost up… that means… you’ve been wandering around chasing a butterfly this whole time? And you’re fine?”

“Sure I am,” Minako said, “Why do you ask?”

“Do you feel any dizzy, or anything? Disorientation? Headache? Pain?”

“No,” Minako said.

Akihiko tilted his head at her, “Huh,” he repeated, “You don’t seem scared at all, at least. Have you experienced this before?”

“If you’re talking about when the clock strikes midnight and the moon gets all spooky majora’s-mask style, then yeah, it’s pretty normal at this point.”

“Normal?” Akihiko laughed, “That’s amazing.”

Minako’s grin widened, “Thank you very much, Senpai. It is getting rather late, though, and I did promise my brother I’d do all the talking for him so he doesn’t have to, so I would appreciate it if you would be so kind as to keep me company and walk me back to my dorm like a gentleman.”

“Uh…” Akihiko blinked, “Sure thing,” he said, offering his hand. She took his arm instead, wrapping her arms around it and leaning into his side. He gave her a confused look, but she simply winked at him and began walking, taking him along with her.

She may have gotten them on their way, but he led most of the way home, her never letting go of his arm. The way he moved, it was like he was always on edge, waiting for something to pop out at them. He kept to the sides of the streets, peeking over the edges of buildings before rounding any corners and always being sure to stay in front of Minako at all times. It made movement a lot slower, but Minako didn’t mind. She enjoyed having more time to spend with her pretty new Senpai.

“You’re not the first person I’ve picked up tonight, you know,” Akihiko said at one point.

“Oh, so you’re _that_ kind of man, Senpai? That’s disappointing,” Minako teased.

Akihiko gave her a confused look, “What?” before a realization dawned on him, “Oh! No, I, uh… that’s not what I meant,” his face went red, “I was just helping a guy out. He was attacked, and I stepped in. Helped him get back home.”

Minako giggled, “That’s pretty heroic of you, Senpai. Maybe you can save me like that someday…”

“I hope not!” Akihiko said, his tone truly concerned, “That’d be terrible.”

Minako rolled her eyes once more. Man, this guy really was clueless, wasn’t he? In any case, the two continued walking, their conversation a lot more lively than it had been with Mr. Beanie. It made her wonder how the two knew each other. They seemed so different.

He explained to her he was the captain of the boxing team at school, and that he was a part of a special club called the Specialized Extracurricular Execution Squad, which explained the armband. They were dedicated to researching certain phenomena and helping those in need, which was a pretty vague description if Minako had anything to say about it, but Akihiko didn’t seem to want to go into details with her. He also told her about the others staying in their dorm; firstly, there was Mitsuru Kirijo, a third-year, apparently a shoe-in for Student Council President and the heir to the Kirijo Group. And secondly, there was Yukari Takeba, a second-year who had recently moved in herself. All together, Minako’s brother included, they made five.

“That’s a pretty small amount,” Minako had commented.

“Yeah, well, we’re working on that. It’s really only supposed to be temporary housing for you and your brother. Although, if tonight’s anything to go by, that may change,” Akihiko responded.

Minako winked, “I hope so,” she said, “If I get to stay with you.”

He didn’t seem to understand what she was getting at. It wasn’t long after that, though, that the two finally made it back to the dorms. It was then that the world decided to start moving again, the eerie green light fading, the moon shrinking, and the streetlamps flicking back on as though they had never powered off.

Minako started feeling a pit growing in her stomach as she thought about how long she had left her brother alone. He’d probably be fine if he didn’t have to talk to anyone, but she wasn’t expecting to meet anyone other than coffins out here. Now she had met not one, but _two_ , not including her butterfly friend. She hoped her baby brother was doing alright without her.

The two stepped inside of the dorm to find one girl about to pull a gun out on Minato while another watched from the staircase with narrowed eyes.

So, better than Minako expected. At least he wasn’t dead.

“Akihiko,” the girl on the staircase spoke with a powerful voice, “Welcome back,” she just _oozed_ confidence and grace, her beautiful red hair flowing over her expensive-looking blouse as she folded her arms and stared at the scene with an upturned nose. The same armband worn by Minako’s senpai displayed proudly over her left arm. If Minako had to put money on it, she would say that was Mitsuru Kirijo. The _picture_ of unattainable sophistication.

The other girl jumped, her hand moving from the gun strapped to her hip. It looked just like Akihiko’s… so, it wasn’t a gun, then? She also had the armband, strapped over a pink sweater on top of her Gekkoukan uniform. That must have been Yukari Takeba, then.

“Did I… miss something?” Akihiko asked. Suddenly Minako felt a stare digging into her arms, still wrapped around her senpai. She turned her gaze to Minato, who had long since shifted his attention from Yukari to his sister and the young man she was attached to. His white-hot glare could have burned right through Akihiko’s arm.

Minako let go of her senpai and walked further inside, pulling Minato away. His glare never left Akihiko.

“Ah, you must be Minako Arisato,” Mitsuru said, walking down the stairs, “I had wondered where you were,” she glanced and Minato, “So then you must be Minato Arisato.”

“Mina-” Yukari said, “Wait, Mina _ko_ or _to_?” she asked.

Mitsuru shrugged, “Both. These two are twins. Minato and Minako Arisato.”

Yukari’s eyes widened, “Oh!” she looked at the two, “But, they were just-”

“It seems their train got delayed by a large margin,” Mitsuru interrupted. She smiled at the twins, “Don’t mind Takeba. It is late, after all, and you can never be too careful. Perhaps you could show them to their rooms, Takeba? They’ll be staying with us for a bit, it seems.”

“Uh, sure,” Yukari said. She gave Minato an apologetic look, “Sorry about that. I just thought… nevermind.”

“I don’t care,” Minato said. His eyes kept glancing back at Akihiko, who was rubbing the back of his neck.

“I’m gonna get some sleep,” Akihiko finally said, quickly rushing up the stairs past Mitsuru.

Minako glared at her brother. He snorted.

“I’d better go too,” Mitsuru said, “I have some work to do for the chairman,” she turned around and followed Akihiko up the stairs.

Yukari folded her hands awkwardly, “Well, um, so, the boy’s rooms are on the second floor and the girl’s rooms are on the third. There’s bathrooms on the first and fourth floor, and the kitchen’s on the first, but you’ll have to make your own food if you want anything cooked. Other than that… oh, make sure not to lose your keys. Trust me, you don’t want to deal with that. Um, any questions?”

“Does that boy live here too?” Minato suddenly spoke up.

“Akihiko-senpai?” Yukari asked, “Yeah, but he’s out and about most of the time.”

“Not him,” Minato said. Minako gave him a confused look. He specified, “The kid in the striped pajamas.”

Yukari’s eyebrows furrowed, “Huh?”

“Senpai didn’t say anything about a kid living here…” Minako muttered.

Minato’s stare suddenly hardened, “Senpai? You were gone for a few minutes and he’s already your senpai?”

“He’s your senpai too, idiot,” Minako said, “And we were gone for a lot longer than a few minutes.”

Minato’s eyes widened, before suddenly narrowing in confusion. He looked at the ground, “...huh,” he said.

Yukari shifted her weight, “There’s no one else who lives here. If that’s it, should I show you guys your rooms then? There’s school tomorrow. We can all ride together, if you’d like. We’re going to be in the same grade, after all.”

“That’d be great!” Minako responded cheerfully.

Minato just shrugged his shoulders. He seemed agitated. Yukari began walking up the stairs, but Minako held back for a moment, “Are you okay, Toto?” she asked.

Minato shook his head, shaking his thoughts away, his dull gray eyes stared into her’s, “I’m fine. Let’s just go.”

Minako gave him a worried look, but she didn’t press him. Instead, she followed Yukari up the stairs, her mind trailing off to butterflies and senpais and boys in striped pajamas.

Oh, this year would be interesting for _sure._

**Author's Note:**

> I'm experimenting a bit here. I hope you enjoyed it!
> 
> Thanks for reading! Check out my tumblr for more: https://anna-van-pie.tumblr.com/


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